A pilot project offering takeaway food customers in Welsh towns the choice of ditching single-use plastic and cardboard packaging and opting for tiffin tins or aluminium pizza boxes has won the Cittaslow Chiocciola Orange 2021 Award.

The Naked Takeaway scheme sees reusable food containers offered to customers in various food retailers in Mold and Caerwys, Wales.

Working alongside Mold, Caerwys and Llangollen Town Councils and Mold Plastic Reduction, takeaway owners have introduced tiffin tins (a reusable, stainless steel set of stacking tins) or aluminium pizza cases, both of which can be used time and again for takeaway food containers. As of June 2021, five local businesses are trialling the scheme.

Launched in January 2021, the Naked Takeaway pilot scheme is the brainchild of Mold, Caerwys and Llangollen Town Councils which, with support from community groups and interested businesses in the area, have been awarded a grant from the Welsh Government Circular Economy Fund.

The councils are working together to reduce their environmental impact and support a more circular economy – one in which items are reused, repaired, swapped and borrowed rather than thrown away and replaced with new products.

Naked Takeaway was entered into the environmental category of the Cittaslow Chiocciola Orange 2021 Award. The reusable food containers scheme was voted overall winner of all seven categories at an online event held during the Cittaslow International Assembly on 12 June.

Mold and Llangollen are members of the Cittaslow network of more than 260 towns and cities across 30 countries, which fosters economic, social and environmental sustainability.

Founded in Italy, Cittaslow is inspired by the slow food movement. Cittaslow towns aim to be places where people enjoy living, working and visiting, while promoting and supporting good environmental practices and projects. This, in turn, helps local people and businesses to value the unique traditions, strengths and character of their town or city.

The year-long Naked Takeaway scheme is projected to save some 26,000 single use plastic takeaway food containers and 5,200 single use cardboard pizza boxes during the trial period.

Rosa Medea is Life & Soul Magazine’s Chief. She writes about lifestyle including sustainable and green living.